Mining apparatus



C. GALLACHER.

MINING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I9, 1920.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

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cnms'rorm Gamelux, or nerim, Amun, AssIeNoaro eoonm MANU- rAcrUmNG conrm, or cnIcAeo, ILLINOIS. A conromrIoN or ILLINOIS.

MINING APPARATUS.

Applloation iled Hay 19,

of the mine to the entry for loading in mine cars. The object 'of the present lnvent-ion is to provide a more efficient apparatus of the class described.

My invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view' of the scraper or scoop embodying my invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are diagrammatic views of a mine room and scraper loading system, illustrating Athe use of my invention.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are detailed views of the tail rope whook.

Fig. 7 is a view of a modified form of the tail rope hook.

My invention is particularly adaptable to assist in the so-calledscraper loader system of coal handling, of vwhich a typical apparatus is illustrated invFigures 2 and 3. A scraperl l is provided with va head rope 2 and tail rope 3, each of said ropes being operated by a suitable hoisting engine of the usual type (not shown), usually situated outside of the mine room, in the entry or.

l gallery 4. The head rope 2 is adapted to be led over a detachable sheave 5 anchored in one corner of the room adjacent the worki'ng face 6. The ta-il rope 3 is led around' the stationary sheave 7 anchored in the opposite corner of the room, and from thence around suitable guiding sheaves to the hoisting engine. In starting the loading operation, the scraper is dragged by the tail rope 3 `to the far corner of the room adjacent `the stationary pulley `7. Theftail rope 3 is then allowed to run free, and the head rope 2 is led around the detachable sheave 5'. With this arrangement, when the head rope Vis pulled by the hoisting engine, the scraper moves along the worklngv face 6 of the mine wall, tocollect the loose material adjacent thereto, and thence turned toward the entry. by detaching the head rope 2 successively from the sheave 5, and a second Specieation of Letters Patent.

l Patented Api?. 4, 1922. 1920. semi no. 352,497. Y

detachable sheave 8. The head rope 2 is then disengaged from the sheave 8, and the stralght pull is exerted on the scraper to vmove it outwardly to the entry where it is loaded into cars 1n the usual manner.

A delector or guide pulley 9 is usually placed in a position near, but spaced from the detachable sheave 5 in order to main' tain the scraper in a path along the side of the room in its movement to and from the entry, as a large portion of the room is usually occupied with waste material or mine props around which the scraper must move. When the head rope 2 is detached from the sheave and the scraper moves toward the entry, the tail rope 3 engages the deflector or buffer guide 9.

A preferred construction of scraper used with systems such as described is illustrated in Figure 1, which comprises a bottomless body portion 10 having substantially upright side walls 11, l1 converging at the rear of the scraper in a rounded rear end portion 12.

OneI difficulty has been met with in manipulating the scraper to load the coal in the far corner of the room adjacent the sheave 7, when the scraper is in starting position. The scraper is necessarily of considerable weight, and must be shifted laterally to several positions in order to gather the loose coal in this corner. Another difficultyV has been in scraping close to the working face 6, which heretofore has been accomplished by directing the scoop toward the face before the pull is exerted on the head rope.

In the present invention, I provide the scraper 1 with a permanent tail rope connection 13 on one side of the scraper, and with adetachable connection 14 for the tail rope substantially on the longitudinal center line of the scraper. In other words, the rope is permanently attached to the side of the scraper nearest the working face of the mine, and is adapted to be engaged or nection comprises an inverted hook 16,

i opening forwardly and downwardly so as to retain the tail rope in engagement therein while the pull onthe tail rope is 'substan-/f tially in a rearward direction, but in which the rope may become automatically disengaged when the scraper reaches the defiec tor, and the pull of the rope changes to an an ular direction with respect to the longiycient to retain the rope in place until disengaged by the op erator,'or by the change in direction of pull of the tail rope, as above described.

' With an improved arrangement of tail rope connections as above described, it will be seen that the tail rope 3 may be disengaged from its rear end connection 14,l so that the scraper 1 approaches its starting position at an angle to the face, as shown in Figure 2. In this position, the scraper cangather a larger proportion of coal immediately adjacent the sheaye 7, thereby mlnimizing the lateral shifting of the scoop, or

the shoveling ordinarily necessary in orderv to gather all the loose, coal in this corner. This feature is-particularly advantageous in gathering coal under aplow roofwhere difiicultis of handling the scoop or shovelin are increased by the limited head-room. ur-

, thermore, it will be noted that the scoop may be drawn rearwardly to a position in which it-is directed toward the face. 'In gathering systems of this kind, the scraper usually makes several trips in one setting of the apparatus. The operator may pull the f scoop rearwardly either in an angular or straight position to any place desired along the mine face.

Although I have described a specific loading system with-Which my invention is particularly adaptable,l it will be understood I that my invention 'may be applied to other loading systems, as for instance', in which the movement of the scraper may be in one direction without turning, but in which it is equally` necessary to direct the scraperf toward the mine wall 'in its initial movement Furthermore, it will be understood that many variations may be made in the specific construction and arrangement of the tail rope connections'without departing from scraperin a forward direction to load the" same, and a tail'rope connectionwith said scraper, and adapted to move the scraper 1n a rearward d1rect1on, either on the normal `line of forward movement of the scraper and head rope, or'turned on a vertical axis at an angle to its normal position, at will.

2. In a scraplng apparatus,`a scraper prov1ded with a head rope adapted to move the scraper 1n a forward direction to load the same, and a tail rope adapted to have connect1on at will to the rear end of said scraper or atIone side thereof;

3. n a scraping apparatus a scra er rovided with ahead rope adapted to nliovepthe scraper in a forward direction to load the same, and a tail rope having permanent connection with said scraper at one side thereof, and a detachable connectionat the rear end thereof. y

4. In a scraping apparatus, a scraper provlded with a head` ropeadapted to move the scraper in a forward direction to load the same, a tail rope having permanent connection with said scraper at one side thereof, and a detachable connection at the rear end thereof, and means responsive tothe direc- CHRIS GALLACHER. 

